Unexpected
by Hopeakaarme
Summary: Complete. Remus has a hickey, Sirius finds a note, Remus is in love, Severus is sweet, WPP get the shock of their lives, and Sirius throws up. But in the end, new companionships develop. SLASH RLSS.
1. Midnight Affair

Disclaimer: They are not mine. Only the plot is.

A/N: Here's the (second) revised version of chapter one. Contains SLASH RL/SS, if that offends you, don't read. Thanks to the person who pointed out that I'd copied it here twice. :D

* * *

Unexpected

Midnight Affair

* * *

It was a cool, windy winter day in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Most of the students kept inside in their warm Common Rooms and dormitories. Four sixth-year Gryffindors, however, were sitting outside.

Sirius Black was bored. He had nothing to do. They had no homework for once, there were no Quidditch practices, and after their last incident with whipped cream, giant-sized porn pictures, and the Great Hall ceiling, they had decided to keep low profile for some time, so pulling pranks wasn't appropriate at the moment.

He glanced at his friends. Peter was currently explaining some especially complicated Charms assignment to James - Peter maybe wasn't very good in many subjects, but in Charms he was excellent. In theory exams he was always the second best, and in casting the charms, no one could beat him - not even the best seventh-years. Some were sure that he'd become the Charms teacher after Flitwick, but Sirius knew better - Peter was maybe good, but he'd never become a teacher. And James - well, James was James. He only cared about Quidditch, and usually got only just enough points to get through his exams.

The last one of hid friends, Remus Lupin, was concentrated on a book laying in his lap. 'Of course,' Sirius thought. 'Trust Moony to have a book around anywhere.' Because he had nothing else to do, Sirius watched lazily his friend. Suddenly, he noticed something that made him doubt his own eyes. Something he had never expected.

"Remus - you've got a hickey."

Remus blushed fiercely and tried to wind his scarf tightly around his neck. It didn't help, though. Sirius was sure about what he had seen, and he wasn't going to give up.

He turned towards James and Peter. "Did you hear?" he asked, grinning. "Remus has a hickey! Our little poor never-gets-girls Remus has a damned hickey - isn't that a miracle?"

James grinned also and leaned nearer, looking interested. "Really?" he asked. "Where? I thought you didn't even know what's the difference between boys and girls! Looks like you've been working hard lately, eh?"

"Shut up," Remus snapped, still blushing. "It's nothing of your business." He grasped the ends of his scarf and kept them firmly in his hands, like he was trying to strangle himself. Then he seemed to notice how hard it was to breathe, and loosened his grasp. Therefore, the hickey got again in sight.

"Yeah, it is!" James exclaimed. "Woah, that's unbelievable! Our little Remus has a hickey!"

"Enough of that already!" Remus shouted, his face as red as a radish.

"No, not enough," Sirius grinned. "Who it is? Tell us, Moony! We are your friends, we deserve to know!"

"No, Sirius doesn't," Peter said, grinning as well. "He's teasing you, you see? But I've said nothing, you can tell me whom you are seeing!"

"I'm not seeing anyone!" Remus said firmly.

"We don't believe you," the other three Marauders said in unison.

"Fine, don't believe then," Remus grumbled. "Because I'm not telling you anything."

"Hey, not fair!" James said poutingly. "You always know whom we are dating! Why can't you tell us?"

"Drop it, James," Remus advised, sounding bored. "It doesn't matter how much you try, I won't tell you anyway."

"Spoilsport," Sirius mumbled. Then his eyes wandered away, and his eyes lit up with excitement. "Hey, look who's there!" he exclaimed. "It's Snivellus!" He drew his wand, grinning mischievously. "What about some fun?"

"Could you please at least once in your life not to torture every student going by whom you don't like?" Remus asked, sounding much more patient than he really was. The blush had vanished from his face as soon as the hickey topic had been dropped.

"This is not an ordinary student," Sirius protested. "That's Snivellus!"

"Let him be," Remus said again.

"Wah, you're not fun," Sirius pouted.

"Remember what happened last time you wanted some 'fun' with Snape?" Remus snapped bitterly. "You nearly got him dead, or bitten - and me into Azkaban!"

That shut Sirius's mouth immediately. He merely glared at the Slytherin as he walked past them. James and Peter glared at him as well, but Remus didn't bother - he kept his eyes locked at his book again.

* * *

It was late afternoon. Remus had left to the library to get some book he needed for his research, and the other three boys were lying in their dorm - Peter and James on their own beds and Sirius on Remus's, because his own bed was, as usually, a complete mess.

"I'm booored," Sirius complained and stretched himself on the bed. "I wish Moony was here, we could tease him some more."

"And then he'd definitely not tell us anything," James pointed out. "I suggest we try to sneak after him some day and spy on him and his mysterious girlfriend."

"Nah. It wouldn't manage," Peter said. "He's a werewolf, remember? Even if we used your cloak, he'd hear or even _smell_ us. There's no way we could get after him without getting caught."

"Peter is right," Sirius said. "I hope we only knew where he's meeting her - we could spy on the room."

"There's no way we could know that," Peter complained. "I mean, Remus knows how to keep a secret. He'll never let anything slip."

"You're right," Sirius said. "We can't find that out. Unless..."

"Unless?" echoed James. "What you have in your mind, Padfoot? I know that twinkle in your eyes. What you're up to now?"

"Oh, nothing much," the tall teen grinned and sat up on Remus's bed, throwing his ponytail over his shoulder. "Only..." He got on his feet and walked to Remus's trunk.

"You can't!" Peter snapped. "He'll skin you alive if he finds out!"

"He'll never find out, if you don't turn me in," Sirius said calmly as he began going through their friend's stuff. "Besides, I'm only - Ah-hah!" he exclaimed then triumphantly. "I knew it! Remus never knows how to keep his ware!"

"Maybe he didn't assume that you'd be blunt enough to sneak on his stuff," James pointed out. "What did you find? Her picture with her name, year, and house on the other side?"

"Better even," Sirius grinned. "What do you say about this?" He waved a little parchment note in the air.

The two other boys jumped out of their beds and walked nearer, curious. They crouched down to look at the note. It was written in fine, careful handwriting - nothing familiar, though. The message was simple enough.

"'Abandoned Charms classroom in the ground floor. Midnight,'" Sirius read aloud. "No signature. Nothing else." He glanced at the other boys. "D'you know where's the abandoned Charms classroom?" he asked.

"How could I know that?" James snorted. They both nailed their eyes on Peter, who looked thoughtful.

"I could maybe find it," he said slowly. "If it indeed is a Charms classroom, they've been used there far more than any other magic. It could be even easy to hunt down."

"And because it's the ground floor, we can look inside without brooms or levitating," Sirius grinned. "Oh, boy - this sounds perfect!"

"What about if the note is old?" Peter asked warily. "Maybe that's why he left it there - it's old so he doesn't have to care of it being revealed to us."

"What does it cost to check?" Sirius snorted. "If he doesn't go anywhere, we don't go anywhere. And if he indeed does, we'll sneak outside and try to find the window of that classroom. Simple."

"And very simple is also that if you don't soon put that note back where it was and close the trunk, you'll get caught," James pointed out. "Remus said he wouldn't stay away for long. You'd better be ware."

Sirius indeed obeyed. When he had put all the stuff back and closed the trunk, he had just enough time to jump back on Remus's bed.

"What are you three up to?" Remus asked cautiously as he stepped inside and saw his three friends lying on their beds - or, in Sirius's case, his bed - seemingly innocent.

"We? We're up to absolutely nothing," Sirius said, giving him an angelic grin. "We're as innocent as first years, aren't we, boys?" He glanced at the two other boys, who started nodding furiously.

"Sod off from my bed, Sirius, and stop telling rubbish," Remus sighed dryly. "Fine. Don't tell me. I suppose I'll find it out anyway." He eyed the three other boys attentively. "You still remember our old rule, right?" he asked. "We don't pull pranks on each other."

"Right," the other boys replied in unison.

Remus merely shook his head before kicking Sirius off his bed and starting reading the book he had just fetched.

* * *

Remus was only the tiniest bit nervous as he stepped inside the abandoned Charms classroom near midnight. The familiar scent of his lover flowed over him at the same second as he stepped inside. His lips curved into a little smile as he greeted the person who was waiting for him.

Severus Snape stood up from the chair he had been sitting on, and walked nearer Remus. He moved with grace Remus had always adored, and there was a little, nearly unnoticeable warm glint in his beetle-black eyes as he reached out his arms to welcome him.

'If Sirius only knew,' Remus thought. 'If he only knew what he's done!' After the incident in Shrieking Shack last year Remus had been nervous that Severus would spill his secret to everyone. Instead of that, Severus had come to talk with him and apologized - apologized! Severus Snape had apologized to Remus Lupin! - for his former behaviour. He hadn't realized how much his remarks about Remus's golden eyes or regular sickness had hurt the werewolf! He hadn't realized exactly how difficult Potions classes where to Remus and his sensitive nose! And now he had wanted to apologize.

After that they had met more often - in secret, of course. At first they had only talked about usual topics - school, and Potions especially. With Severus's help and his potions that prevented Remus smelling all the potions, Remus had got through his Potions O.W.L.S. and even became rather good in the subject.

Slowly, they had become friends. And then one day they had realized their love towards each other. And this everything was thanks to Sirius, who would most probably have died rather than put Remus together with his despised "Snivellus."

Severus was unbelievable. He didn't care if Remus's body was covered by scars. He didn't care if Remus was a werewolf or not. The Slytherin didn't care about anything like that. He said that Remus's golden eyes were beautiful, that his scars made his otherwise flawless skin look even more perfect. And he said that he loved Remus, the real Remus, not the wolf or the human but both.

And when Remus looked into those midnight-black eyes, he knew that Severus meant it.

Now Severus was standing right in front of him, that black hair surrounding his pale face. His deep, black eyes were fixed on Remus, and on Remus only.

Remus felt an urge to tell Severus just how much he loved him, how important the Slytherin was to him. "Severus", he started with a very hoarse voice. "I - I -"

"Hush", Severus whispered back, his black eyes glittering in the candlelight. He put one long, pale finger on his lips. "Don't say anything."

Remus felt a tender, soft kiss placed on his forehead. Then Severus kissed the tip of his nose, and then those cool, yet burning lips covered his own mouth, making breathing impossible.

He didn't even want to breathe, though. Right now he wanted Severus more than oxygen. He leaned against him, eager to be loved by him. He wrapped his arms around the neck covered by jet-black hair. He replied the kiss, then slightly opened his mouth, letting the exploring tongue come into his mouth.

After a while they broke the kiss, both panting slightly. They pressed their foreheads together, looking into each other's eyes, a little smile on both of theirs lips.

"I love you," Remus said, and he meant it.

"I love you, too," Severus replied gently.

* * *

"I love you, too." This wasn't the first time Severus had said those words to Remus, and this definitely wouldn't be the last. And he really meant it, from the bottom of his heart.

And to think that only a year before he had thought he'd never say those words to anyone...

He grasped Remus's shoulders, holding him nearer to himself. His tongue once again slipped into his mouth. The tip of his tongue examined those white, perfect, nice-tasting teeth. He felt Remus's own tongue licking his, trying to twist around his.

Remus tasted good, he noticed. He licked his lover some more, eager to taste more of that Remus-y goodness. His other hand crept up to the smaller brunette's hair, combing the sandy hair with his fingers. The other snaked down to Remus's slender waist, keeping him tight.

Their lips kept locked as Severus started leading them both towards the couch.

Only some moments later, they both laid naked on each other's arms.

And then the real fun began.

* * *

Sirius just stared at the sight before him. "Oh, Merlin," he whispered before jumping down from James's shoulders and therefore out of sight to the window.

"Who it is?" James hissed, eager to hear every detail. "Is she a Ravenclaw? I bet she is, I don't understand why Remus himself isn't there..."

"Believe me, Prongs," Sirius interrupted, still feeling slightly cloud-headed. "You don't want to know. Not really."

"But I do want to know it!" Peter said with demanding tone. "Tell us, Sirius, right now! Who that girl is?"

"James, Peter," Sirius said, "it isn't a girl."

"WHAT?" James exclaimed, his eyes very wide. "Remus is - he's a _gay_?"

"I'm afraid so," Sirius said, closing his eyes. He found it very hard to concentrate on anything.

"So who it is, then?" James asked, after getting over the first shock. "Who has seduced our poor innocent Moony?"

"It is Snape," Sirius replied with gloomy voice. "And they were in full action just as I peered inside."

James looked like he was ready to throw up. Peter took support from the wall, seemingly near fainting. Sirius just banged his head with his fist, trying to get the mental image from his head.

'Think about anything else rather,' he commanded himself. 'Think about Dumbledore and McGonagall going on it, if nothing else!' He still couldn't get the image out of his head. Remus lying on the couch, naked, and Snape...

He felt like he'd throw up at any moment.

Then he heard a moan loud enough to get through the silencing spells from the window above him, and he indeed did that.

When he again got on his feet, he suggested with weak voice, "Boys... What about getting to the hell from here?"

James and Peter didn't need two commands.

About the same time as they at last reached their dorm, Remus dozed into light sleep, circled in his lover's arms, completely unaware of what would await him the next morning.

* * *

The next chapter: **Revelations**

Featuring the other Marauders confronting Remus, Remus telling Severus, and a Slytherin telling everyone!


	2. Revelations

Disclaimer: Like always, I only own the plot.

A/N: Yeah. It's here at last. Unexpected 2.

And there's still more to come.

WARNINGS: SLASH RL/SS.

Oh, and Akasha? Think of it this way: You don't update _Save the Hybrid, _I don't update _Switching Sides_. It's just fair.

* * *

Unexpected

Revelations

It was near dawn already as Remus slipped back to the dormitory. Humming quietly to himself, he started to undress, preparing himself for the few hours of sleep he'd still get before having to go to the breakfast.

"Not so fast," said suddenly a strict voice behind him. Remus froze, then turned slowly around. James, Peter, and Sirius, whom he'd thought to be fast asleep, sat in their beds, obviously wide awake. And, regarding to the fact that they were in full clothes under their covers, they hadn't slept, either.

"Er... Guys? Why are you still awake?" he asked meekly, hoping with all his heart that they did not know where he'd been.

"Do you honestly think I could sleep after what I _saw_?" Sirius asked, looking much paler than usually.

"Saw?" echoed Remus. Then he, too, paled at first, and then blushed furiously. "You didn't see - did you -"

"Did I see you and _Snape_?" suggested Sirius with a disgusted tone. "Well, unfortunately for me, I did. Merlin, I truly _saw _something." The horrified expression on his face gave Remus a rather good idea of what that "something" had been, and he blushed even more. Groaning, the young werewolf hid his face in his hands.

"How could you, Remus?" asked James, sounding almost desperate. "Okay, you like boys, fine. No problem with that. But how could you fall as low as bedding _Snape_? He's hardly a human being!"

Now, however, Remus's ashamement turned into pure fury. "You have no right to talk like that!" he snapped angrily. "Severus is most definitely a human, more so than I am!"

"Is that what he's been telling you?" asked Sirius, sounding even more disgusted than before. "That you're less a human than he is, only because you're a werewolf?"

"No! Instead, he's treating me like a human even though I'm a werewolf. _He_ doesn't think that I'm just a tool for getting rid of his enemies!"

At least Sirius had the decency to look ashamed at that. Then he said defensively, "I didn't do it to get rid of Snape. I just wanted to scare him so that he'd leave you alone!"

"Really?" smirked Remus dryly. "You messed it really badly, then. We'd hardly even talked before the incident, but after that, he sought me out. So, in fact, I have you to thank for the fact that I and Severus are together."

Sirius gaped at him, his expression turning to pure horror. "I - you -" he stammered, seemingly unable to form a coherent sentence.

"That's correct. You're a pretty good matchmaker, Sirius. The same evening as I was released from the Infirmary, Severus came to me and apologized to me for the way he'd been treating me."

"Woah, wait a minute," Peter said. "Did you just say that Snape _apologized_ to you?"

Remus nodded. "Which is more than you've done," he mentioned then with more than a bit accusing tone.

"I'm not apologizing to that greasy git!" exclaimed Sirius fiercely. "And you're not going to be around him anymore!"

"That's not a thing for you to decide about," Remus said sharply. "I love Severus, and I'm not giving him up for anything - not even for you."

Now his friends' eyes widened. "You're not serious," James whispered in disbelief.

"Oh, but I am," the young werewolf snapped. "A friendly advice, my dear Marauders. You are my friends, and I love you as such. But I love Severus much more, and in a very different way. So don't make me choose between him and you three, because you wouldn't like the outcome of that decision." With this said, he grabbed his school bag, then stormed out of the dormitory, completely ignoring the fact that it still wasn't even near the dawn. From the way he slammed the door shut, the other boys knew that they wouldn't see him before breakfast, if even then.

Severus Snape left his dormitory early, as usual. He'd only got a couple of hours of sleep, but he didn't mind - the mere thought of Remus was enough to keep him well awake.

He was on his way to the Great Hall as somebody grabbed his wrist and pulled him into a nearby side corridor. Coming face to face with his lover, Severus opened his mouth to a greeting, but snapped it shut as he saw the pale face.

"Sev," Remus said hastily, "they know about us. Hell, they _saw_ us!"

"Your friends?" asked Severus, frozen on his place. If the damned Gryffindors had abandoned Remus because of him, he'd kill them. He'd kill them, no matter what consequences.

"Yes," Remus replied, nodding. "They said horrible things about you... That I shouldn't be with you."

"And you said?" demanded Severus, his heart sinking. He'd always known that it would come to this - that Remus's friends would pull the werewolf away from him.

"I told them that if I had to choose between them and you, I would pick you," the werewolf told calmly. "Then I stormed out before they could say anything else."

Severus's jaw dropped. "You said that to them - for me?" he asked in surprise and astonishment. All this time, he'd been wholly prepared to be left alone because of the other Marauders, like they called themselves.

Smiling weakly, Remus nodded again. "I love them all like you love a friend," he said, "but I love you even more." With this, he wrapped his arms around the Slytherin's slim waist.

"I'll stand with you, no matter what they'll do," promised Severus, still dumbfounded by the surprised revelation. He loved Remus, that was true. And no matter what, he'd repay his love for the sacrifice Remus had done for him.

"No matter what?" echoed Remus. "What if they tell everyone about us?"

Even this didn't make Severus hesitate for a moment. "Even if they do that, I'll be with you," he said firmly.

"Good," Remus whispered. Then, with a very quiet voice, "I love you, Sev..." Before he could answer, the werewolf had tangled his fingers into his hair, pulled his head down, and sealed his mouth with a fierce kiss.

Marcus Ront was slowly walking towards the Great Hall from breakfast as he heard some suspicious sounds coming from a side corridor. Curious to see whomever was making out in such a public place, he peered into the corridor. What he saw made him freeze, all colour vanishing from his face.

Severus Snape stood in the corridor with Remus Lupin. Lupin's shirt was open, Snape's hands caressing his sides underneath. Lupin also had his hands in suspicious places; one was innocently enough tangled in the jet-black hair, but the other was up to the wrist snaked somewhere below Snape's waistband. Both were completely oblivious to the world around them, their mouths joined together.

Without thinking twice, Marcus spun around and started running, shouting loudly, "Snape is bedding Lupin! SNAPE IS BEDDING LUPIN!"

Remus and Severus broke apart, both slightly flushed. "Shit," they said in unison.

"So," said Remus then. "I guess we are out to the open now." He started to button his shirt up, his fingers nervously fumbling with the tiny buttons.

Severus drew a long, calming breath, then started helping his lover to manage his clothing. "I'm going to keep my promise," he whispered into Remus's slightly pointy ear, his lips lightly brushing the soft earlobe.

Remus didn't say anything in response, merely nodded. Taking his school bag to his other hand, he put the other into Severus's hand. "Ready to face the world?" asked the werewolf quietly.

"Always with you, love," Severus replied, then braced himself, and started leading their way towards the Great Hall.

* * *

Next Chapter:

Severus and Remus go to the Great Hall and sit in the Ravenclaw table. One of the Marauders attempts an apology (or maybe not).


	3. Turning Tables

Disclaimer: I only own the preciousss plot.

A/N: Part of this was written behind my English exam (which I finished in 10 minutes... It was a "zero course"...) and my teacher said it was very beautiful English. I think I have to disagree with her.

Don't get mad at me for not updating earlier (or not often even from now on), my comp has been a bitch!

* * *

Unexpected

Turning Tables

* * *

The three Marauders that were already seated in the Great Hall froze as the large doors were flung open by Marcus Ront. "Snape is bedding Lupin!" the Slytherin roared as he ran through the whole Hall. "I saw them! Severus Snape and Remus Lupin! _Snogging in a corridor_, for the sake of all that's magical!"

At first, everyone fell deadly silent. Then, a huge wave of whispering, assumptions, and disbelieving sounds rose among the students.

"D'you know whether that's true?" asked Mickey White from the Marauders' side. "Snape and Lupin, I mean?"

"I wish we didn't know," muttered Sirius, his eyes locked firmly at his plate. Then he sighed and nodded in resignation. "Yes, it is indeed true. It's sickening, but it's true."

Many people heard hi words, which of course, resulted with an even louder roar of sounds.

"Silence!" Headmaster Dumbledore roared over the noise. "And twenty points from Slytherin for the inappropriate disturbance, Mister Ront!"

Oddly enough, nobody listened to him. Even the teacher's didn't seem to pay any attention to the Headmaster, continuing to talk excitedly with each other.

Then, the silence fell again just as quickly as it had disappeared. The cause of this was the fact that the large doors had been opened again, and two lithe forms stood in the middle of the doorway. Not only did they stand side by side, but also hand in hand.

Nobody said a single word as Remus and Snape slowly made their way through the Hall. Everyone kept their eyes fixed on them, waiting to see whether they'd part ways to go to their respective House tables. They didn't. Instead, they walked right towards the Ravenclaw Table. Once arriving there, Remus turned towards Lily Evans. "May we sit there?" he asked politely, motioning towards the two empty seats next to her.

"Of course," the witch replied immediately. She did give the Slytherin a wary glance, however.

So, the two boys got seated, purposefully ignoring all gazes still locked at them. Especially determinedly they ignored the Marauders' gazes.

The whispering and staring just continued. Remus was trying to create a conversation with Lily, who gave him nervous half-replies, all the time eyeing Snape like expecting him to attack someone or something like that. The Slytherin calmly went on eating, every now and then brushing Remus's hand lightly with his own, making it look so accidental and unplanned that he most certainly was doing it on purpose.

James, Sirius, and Peter kept their eyes firmly locked at the couple, all the time expecting to see something that would prove Snape's malicious intents. They didn't know exactly what that would be, but they were sure that _something_ would come up, something that would make Remus realize just how wrong he'd been to trust Snape.

Whatever it was that they waited for, it never came. Instead, they saw the young werewolf smiling brightly at Snape every time their hands not-so-innocently met, and Snape touching Remus's hand just a second too long to be natural as he passed the rolls, and them both being absolutely comfortable with it all.

At first everybody just stared at the couple, forgetting to even eat. Then, little by little, the students returned to their usual manners, even though most still gave wary glances to Remus and Snape. Ravenclaws were the first, returning to their breakfast without much extra thought to the two intruders in their House table. Only Lily was still constantly wary; after all, Remus _was_ her friend.

After Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs slowly relaxed. Other than the surprise factor, this incident hardly mattered to them, so they didn't have to worry about it.

Soon the Gryffindors and Slytherins were the only ones still staring at them. This was not surprising. Not only were Remus and Snape the first Gryffindor-Slytherin couple for a longer time than anybody could remember, and a gay couple on top of that, but also they both were very visible parts of the most popular groups in their Houses. It could have almost as well been Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin sitting there, so well they represented their Houses.

Despite his seemingly calm mood, Remus carefully avoided looking at the other Marauders. They noticed this and, with a slight shock, realized that their friend would indeed abandon them in favour of his lover if need be. They also realized that Remus wasn't sad because of Snape, but because of _them_.

Peter was the first one to act. This wasn't a surprise; after all, he and Remus had always been more attached to each other, just like Sirius and James had been inseparable ever since their first day at Hogwarts. Now that Peter's best friends' relationship with Remus was in danger, he showed some rare Gryffindor courage -- rare coming from him, at least -- rising from the table and, under the sharp eyes of half of Hogwarts, slowly making his way towards the Ravenclaw Table. From his eyes Lily saw that he was not seeking trouble, and moved one seat left, leaving the one next to Remus empty. Peter gave her a grateful, yet nervous glance as he approached the table.

"May I sit here?" asked Peter quietly. His eyes avoided looking at Snape, who was watching him with two piercing pools of obsidian, and instead concentrated on Remus, whose eyes had lit up even more as he'd seen Peter coming.

"Of course," replied Remus with a broad smile. Snape didn't say anything, merely glanced at him sideways, but he didn't look threatening, either. So, Peter dared to sit down next to his friend.

For some time they sat there in a pregnant silence. Then Peter cleared his throat and forced himself to say, "Er... Snape? I'm sorry for the way I've been treating you."

Snape merely raised an eyebrow. "Apology accepted, however clumsy it was," he said dryly. Then, as Remus shot him a sharp glance, he added, "I apologize for the way I have been treating you, too." Then, with just the same mildly conversational tone, he said, "You know, if you truly had been foolish enough to abandon Remus because of me, I would have skinned you alive, make no mistake." From the cold sparkle in his eyes Peter knew he was telling the simple truth.

"Don't worry," he replied, and by some unbelievable miracle his voice didn't waver. "I don't plan to lose my best friend over something like _you_." He closed his mouth in shock as he realized what he'd just said. Then he realized that the sparkle was no more threatening, instead, it was in fact amused.

"Wow, this is rare," commented Snape mildly. "And all this time I've been thinking that you were in Gryffindor only because the Sorting Hat had a bad day. But you do seem to be more a Gryffindor than the mouse you seem to be."

"Peter's not bad," commented Remus, who had been just listening to their interaction. "He just doesn't get to show too much, what with James and Sirius all the time shadowing him down." At this, he sent a sad glance towards the Gryffindor table, but lowered his eyes quickly. Snape saw this, and frowned in concern.

Peter, too, saw Remus's gesture. However, he also saw Snape's frown, and with a slight shock he realized something startling. "Snape?" he asked sharply. As the Slytherin's eyes returned to him, he said so quietly that only Snape, Remus, and Lily could hear him, "You really do love him, don't you?"

For a moment, Snape just sat there, blinking at the surprising question. Then he replied simply, "Yes, I do." Now Lily blinked in turn, while a warm smile spread on Remus's face.

And for some reason, after hearing that confession, Peter wasn't half as scared of him as before. Somehow, Snape who was in love with Remus just couldn't scare him.

In the Gryffindor Table, however, the moods were not so forgiving towards that particular Slytherin. Not only had he seduced the poor, innocent Remus, but he'd also torn the Marauders into two parts. At least that was the way James and Sirius saw it.

Now, as they were rapidly whispering to each other, their gazes locked at their three friends and one archenemy in the Ravenclaw Table, they only saw two possible ways of action. Either they could abandon both Peter and Remus, finishing the work that Snape had started... Or they could try to get along with Snape.

Neither of them knew which possibility was the more horrifying one. But they knew that they wouldn't like either.

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Originally I was going to finish the story in this chapter, but it just wouldn't be cut off. So, prepare for at least one more chapter.

And yeah, in my universe, Peter and Remus are (usually) the best friends.


	4. Apologies and Amends

Disclaimer: Nuhuh, not mine.

A/N: Okay, so I wanted this finished... I HAVE ONE WIP less! Yay!

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Unexpected

Apologies and Amends

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At last, James and Sirius made their decision. Snape maybe was trying to pull the Marauders apart, but they'd be damned if they let him. Remus and Peter were their _friends_ -- and Marauders stuck to their friends.

They felt everyone's eyes on them as they rose from their seats and started to slowly walk towards the Ravenclaw Table. The two dark-haired Marauders saw Peter smiling at them and Remus looking hopeful, while Snape gave them a look of absolute indifference. There was no mistaking about the sharp gaze in his black eyes, however.

"Remus," James said as he stopped in front of the werewolf, knowing very well that the whole school was watching them. "I apologize for everything I said."

"I apologize, too," Sirius said, being like James very careful not to direct a single word to Snape. "Can you forgive us?"

Their goldenhaired friend seemed to consider this for a moment. "I might," Remus said then smoothly, "if you apologize to Severus."

"No way!" shouted James heatedly. "I certainly am not apologizing to that git!"

"Then forget about our friendship, for I shall definitely forget it," the werewolf said, and there was a cold tone in his voice none of them had heard before. They also knew that he meant exactly what he said. "I love Severus. Try to get into your thick heads, James, Sirius. True, I love you as my friends, but if you make me choose between you and him, I _will_ choose him."

"But... apologizing to him?" Sirius asked with a whiny tone. "Please, Moony, don't be that cruel! I'll do anything else rather. Just name it, and I'll do it -- as long as it's not that!"

"All right." And a hint of mischief lit Remus's eyes as he said, "If you want me to tolerate your presence in the future, you have to apologize to Severus... _or_ lick his boots. Soles too."

"I'll take my word back," Sirius said hastily. "I'll do _almost_ anything else rather. Merlin alone knows what potions he's spilled on the floor he walks on."

"I do not spill potions, Black," Snape said smoothly. "Only fools do that, and I'm not a fool."

"Could have fooled me," James muttered under his breath. This, however, brought a stern glance from Remus.

The werewolf rolled his eyes towards the ceiling. "Fine, but this is your last chance," he said, still sounding a bit amused. "You can apologize to my _boyfriend_ --" James and Sirius both shuddered at the word, "-- lick his boots, _or_ perform a striptease show on top of the Head Table during dinner tonight."

"Yay!" exclaimed Juliet Gardner, one of Lily's friends, whipping her dark brown hair over her shoulder. "Striptease!" At this, she flashed a charming smile at Sirius and James.

James paled at this. He opened his mouth as if to ask for yet another option, but judging by Remus's expression, his chances at that were rather slim. So, he sighed. "Fine, Snape," he snapped. "I apologize for anything I've ever done wrong to you. And, even though Remus did not mention it but is surely awaiting it, I'll try to treat you civilly from now on. However," he added with a much stricter tone, "if you ever hurt Remus in any way, I will skin you alive."

"Funny how these things go," the Slytherin said mildly. "Just a couple of moments before I was telling Pettigrew here just the same -- although I only mentioned that I _would_ have skinned him alive, had he been foolish enough to abandon Remus because of me. And that goes just as well for the two of you," he then added levelly, although his black eyes were sharp when he glanced at the two standing Gryffindors.

"And James's promise at you is my promise as well," Sirius snapped back. "If you ever hurt him, you're in for serious trouble."

Snape smirked. "I apologize for anything I've ever done wrong to you, Potter," he said levelly. "Just to keep Remus away from my neck, if not for anything else. I also apologize to you, Black -- although I don't think I'll receive the same thing in return."

"You'll just have to wait for the dinner," said Sirius cheerfully. He seemingly didn't find the thought of public striptease appalling at all. This comment, of course, brought a cheer from several nearby girls.

"But good manners still demand you to apologize to Severus, Padfoot," Remus reminded him with a slight sigh. "Honestly, boys, grow up. It's about the time you put those silly grudges behind you and act civilly. And I am thankful for you to be mature enough to agree to it on your own, Prongs," he added, nodding approvingly at the bespectacled boy. "So, Severus? Padfoot?"

Sirius was ready to snap something nasty about the Slytherin in front of him, sure that Snape would completely refuse to even consider being civil to the Marauders other than Remus, but he was too surprised to get a single word out of his mouth as he saw Snape's response. The Slytherin merely glanced at Remus and nodded in response to the werewolf's words. _Nodded_. Snape had just agreed to not to try to torture the Marauders at every opportunity to -- to get them back for their pranks, he realized with something not completely unlike shame. He also noticed the gentle hand Remus laid on Snape's arm, giving the Slytherin the brightest smile Sirius had seen on his face -- or on anyone's face, on that note -- for ages.

"Fine," he sighed. "I apologize to you, Snape, for anything and everything I've ever done wrong to you. And I will behave myself -- as long as you return the favour."

"Oh, rest assured that I will," Snape said, smirking slightly. "I apologize to you, Black. And, contrary to what you think, I am not going to cook your hearts over a fire and have them for breakfast."

"You aren't?" asked James, trying to get a disbelieving tone into his voice but forced to smile despite himself.

"No. I've found that they're much better for supper."

Judging by his smirk, Snape wasn't really serious. However, you never knew with him, so James and Sirius rather sensibly took a few steps back just to be sure.

.:SS:..:RL:.

Sirius did strip himself on the Head Table in the beginning of the dinner that night. Or at least he tried to, but the binding charms he somehow managed to put on the teachers didn't last for long, and he'd been dragged away before he'd got even his shirt properly off, much to the disappointment of most females in the whole castle. The other Marauders were of course suspected of having some part in this, but Remus and Peter were claimed innocent, while James got a week's detention for trying to sell tickets to a "private show" that never occurred.

(The money he got from the tickets did no good for him anyway. He lost them all in a stupid bet with Mickey White about which one of them could keep from laughing for a longer time, and lost the game immediately when Sirius exclaimed upon seeing Snape, "Sev, my dearest friend! Where have you been?" Later, Sirius claimed ignorance about the bet, but the fact that Mickey gave him half of the money spoke volumes.)

Snape, of course, merely smirked as he watched the two most mischievous Marauders getting into trouble again. However, when he heard Remus laughing at his friends' antics, heard that familiar, happy, carefree laugh, he didn't smirk.

Instead, he smiled warmly.

Thirteen Gryffindors were carted to the Infirmary due to fainting.

THE END

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A/N: Yeah, that's it. There's no more. I thank you for your interest and hope that you will review.


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